1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to the management of advertisements displayed on devices connected to a network. More specifically, the present invention relates to the targeted delivery, replacement, display, and statistical reporting of advertisement viewing in a device receiving advertising content while maintaining the relevance and up-to-date status of those advertisements.
2. Background of the Related Art
Traditional advertising outlets such as newspapers and magazines have seen a decrease in demand as “new media” becomes increasingly prevalent. Other forms of conventional media such as broadcast television and radio are also finding themselves subject to this trend with respect to decreased advertising demand and revenues.
The decrease in demand for access to and use of traditional advertising venues is a result, in part, of the rise of the Internet, on-demand video content, and the continued growth of cable and satellite television. The increased popularity of other forms of entertainment—such as interactive and online video games—as well as the continued growth of access to various forms of media content through portable devices are additional contributors to the decline of traditional advertising paradigms.
Notwithstanding this trend, there remains a need for manufacturers and service providers (and their related advertising agencies) to provide the consuming public with information concerning products and services. Consumers—subject to reasonable limitations—also desire to be informed about new and innovative products and services. Without advertising to bridge the gap between consumer and manufacturer, there is a tendency for consumer costs to rise and product demand to fall. Advertising, in that regard, helps maintain an informed public that is aware of and ready to purchase various goods and services while simultaneously helping to mitigate spikes in cost cycles.
Notwithstanding the inherent need for advertising by consumer and manufacturer alike, traditional advertising media (“old media”) have become decreasingly effective. As a result, supply-side efforts to reach the consumer have become increasingly difficult. This has proven to be especially true in the case of portable media (e.g., portable digital media devices). In the case of a portable media device and also online gaming, the consumer (user) is often isolated from traditional advertising channels. Thus, notwithstanding the incredible popularity of such devices and online entertainment, a massive consuming public is not being exposed to the goods and services of various advertising entities.
In those instances where the advertiser is able to reach the consumer, it is often with a stale or out-of-date message. For example, a DVD stamped with a series of movie previews quickly becomes out-of-date when the previewed movies are released and subsequently end their theatrical run. Notwithstanding, the advertisement remains embedded on the disc. Various gaming systems suffer from similar drawbacks in that advertising content embedded on the game disc may soon become irrelevant. Consumer demand for focused, relevant, or otherwise personally pertinent advertising content (if such advertising content is desired at all) and advertiser needs for statistical information related to advertisement success only complicates the problem.
As such, there is a need for the delivery of up-to-date advertising content to a variety of media devices and through a variety of services. There is a further need for this content to be as relevant as possible for a particular recipient of the content. There remains yet an additional need for the generation and reporting of statistical information concerning the delivery, display, and effectiveness of content to the creators or sponsors of such content.